Shapes, Sizes and Surprises

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Being a stay at home mom/housewife wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. Having to cater to my daughter's needs every second, keeping the house clean, cooking, keeping up with blogging, keeping up with extended family and friends and praying/interceding for a number of hours daily was a lot. At times I felt like a shadow of myself; everyday became a long-boring-tedious routine. I missed my friends that still lived in Maryland; I missed having a social life. We only had one car so when my husband was at work, I was stuck at home. The best I could do was to take my daughter to the park since it was walking distance; me not being a fan of the heat, didn't help matters, we spent more time at home than the outdoors.

I had also gained a lot of weight; the baby weight stuck on way after the baby was delivered. I wasn't happy about it, but I found myself too exhausted to do anything about it. I was also breastfeeding, I was told that it would help with losing weight but I found myself eating more. It seemed like I was always hungry! The extra pounds made me uncomfortable; it affected the way I dressed. I remembered when I first got married; I would make efforts to look 'appealing' before my husband came home from work. However, during my housewife days I found comfort in loose fitting clothing. My husband never complained but it bothered me.

About a month into moving into our new place, our spiritual parents (pastors) came to visit us. It was so good having them around. I was glad that we had a comfortable place for them to stay when they came. We had an awesome time during their visit; it was refreshing and rewarding. One day while we were chatting with them, they asked us what things were coming to our heart about doing ministry in the U.S. We shared the impressions that we had on our hearts and they made comments; mainly agreeing with us. Then they hit us with a BOMB! They told us that they were praying and God laid it on their hearts for us to start the church ASAP.

They asked for a response and we both basically started rambling; yet we agreed. A couple of weeks after that, we had our first service in our living room. There were 8 adults and one child (our daughter) in attendance. The service was awesome; it was obvious that it was time for us to start. Even though we didn't feel like we were ready; we were still trying to settle in and determine our new rhythm. But God had other plans, and it was wisdom to go with his flow and not our feelings. It became clear that God work out the house situation for this reason also; it was all starting to make more sense.

Shortly after that, I decided to stop making excuses and start work out and eating healthier. It started off slow but I kept at it. I also stopped breastfeeding after my daughter turned one so I couldn't blame it on the baby any longer. I messed up by overeating during the holidays- thanksgiving and Christmas but I got back at it once the New Year kicked off. Making efforts to lose weight gave me something else to focus on; I was always between being bored and being overwhelmed. I felt stuck and I just wanted to more forward career wise and financially but I had to sit still and obey; that was hard, because I liked to be in the move. To me then, "no movement meant no progress"; I had to learn to be still and trust God. I had to learn to enjoy every moment because they wouldn't last. I had to learn to focus on my daughter, being able to stay with her and watch her grow was something that I'd come to appreciate later on. I had to learn that I wasn't defined by a job title but by a purpose which consisted of specific tasks/assignments per time.

On most days, I made the best of it; on other days, my feelings got the best of me.



With lots of love,



- Bunmi Adebiyi


Wait before you go:

1. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, life won't make any sense, it will be cold and empty. You deserve more! Take a few minutes and click on the 'Come to Jesus' tab at the top of the page and be saved!

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A Tough Pill to Swallow

Source: Goggle

Hello there! Nice of you to stop by today!!!

Can you do me a big favor? Can you like, comment on and share this post? Please and thank you!

In today's post, I talk about a tough decision that I had to make after getting an interesting instruction from God. My pastor always says, "There's one battle that you should never win and that's choosing your Will over God's Will." In this season of my life, those words served as a guide. I had to forgo my desire to be independent for total dependence on God!

Read the more about it below:

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Moving into that house was the perfect birthday gift to me. I was amazed by God and overwhelmed by how he sorted us out. What an awesome God! About two weeks into moving in we were celebrating my birthday in grand style; I was on cloud nine! A couple of months prior was our wedding anniversary; we were low on cash so we couldn't do much to celebrate. We ended up at Popeyes (a fast food restaurant). It was a humbling experience, I initially was tempted to be sad but I didn't allow myself to go down that path. So there we sat and eating our fried chicken, biscuits and fries. God was still good; we still had a reason to celebrate.

Now here we were barely two months later and we were able to afford celebrating my birthday at a Brazilian steakhouse. God provided for us; he multiplied what we had and he granted me the desire of my heart. It was a milestone birthday for me and l wanted to celebrate! And celebrate I did!

After settling into our home, I started thinking about starting work again. I loved staying home with my daughter and being able to cook different types of meal, etc. But I was ready to interact with other adults, make friends and jump start my career; so I started applying for jobs more aggressively. When I would apply for jobs; I would feel unsettled and I had no idea why. The application purpose was also tedious and stressful. After submitting tons of applications, I would get frustrated because I never got any call backs or invitations for interviews. At one point I felt like my degree was irrelevant; many of the jobs I applied for, I was overqualified for. I had become desperate and started to settle.

After a few months, I eventually was invited for an interview with an internationally recognized organization; I was ecstatic! The first step was a video interview. I did all my research and ensured that I was ready. I was also able to put my daughter to sleep during that time, so it worked out perfectly. After the initial interview, I was invited for an in person interview with a panel. Prior to then, I had to get people to provide references for me; that was a process in itself as I was given a short amount of time; and it had to be done via their online database. It felt like I had to chase a couple people around and send frequent reminders but thankfully they came through in time.

Before the in person interview, I went shopping for interview appropriate attire and accessories. Everything seemed to be working out well as my husband was off from work on the day of the interview; so he was able to watch our daughter and drive me to the location. I informed my pastors and asked for them to pray along with me for favor. I was determined to come back with that job! The interview went very well; I could see myself working in that office. After a few weeks, I got some not so good news...I didn't get the job; I was crushed. I replied the interviewer's email thanking her and asking for feedback from the interview. She replied by stating that I interviewed very well but they decided to go with someone that had more experience.

I was discouraged for some time; I was used to being independent; I had my first job at the age of 16. I wanted to be able to contribute to our family financially; I was tired of not being able to buy certain things that I wanted. I started to pray and ask God what was going on; I felt like I was stuck in one place- I wanted to start my career and I wanted my daughter to start daycare so that she could socialize with children her age, etc. One day my pastor called me and told me that he had a word from the Lord for me. He said, "Do you think that you haven't gotten a job because there's no job out there for you?"; “God wants to use you in this season to begin to intercede for the ministry and other things that he'll lay on your heart.”

Those words hit me hard but they resonated within me. I didn't want to accept it but deep down within I knew it was true. So I decided to obey and retire from job hunting. It was hard; I didn't even know how long I'd have to do this new assignment. My pastor just told me that it'll be in two phases and after the first phase, I'll get a job. I couldn't explain to my parents, siblings and friends what was going on. When they asked about job hunting, I would just ask them to keep me in their prayers. So there I was every day, spending a specific amount of hours in prayer. I would pray for the church that we'd pastor in Houston, for the nation, for souls, for people, etc. It wasn't always easy but I made an effort to do my best with the help of the Holy Spirit and I was accountable to my pastor.

I was now on God's payroll; I was employed by him and about his business. I had to learn that God was my source and depended on him for everything. I couldn't afford to focus on what was available or not enough; I needed to use my faith for even the minutest things. My husband did his best; he was absolutely supportive during this time. Even though he disliked his job, he was committed to ensuring that we were well taken care of. He went above and beyond and encouraged me throughout the process. The assignment lasted for about a year...I never expected that! And when it was complete, God hinted to me that it was time for me to get a job. And the way God did it was a testimony!

With lots of love,



- Bunmi Adebiyi


Wait before you go:

1. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, life won't make any sense, it will be cold and empty. You deserve more! Take a few minutes and click on the 'Come to Jesus' tab at the top of the page and be saved!

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A New Dawn

Source: Google

Hello!

Thank you so much for stopping by today.

Do me a huge favor, if you've ever been blessed by my post; kindly leave a comment, like the post and share!!!

Now on to today's post....ENJOY!

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Days turned into nights and multiple nights became frustrating weeks. The wait was long and hard and tiring. Have you ever felt like God has forgotten you? Well, that's how it felt...even though we knew it was far from the truth. At one point, I thought "God why did you bring us here? We were comfortable in Akure."  Go figure...I was sounding like a modern day Israelite! I knew better but I was allowing my current situation to dictate my thoughts and I had to snap out of it. If anything, I had to be strong for my daughter.

Before our relocation, I had spent months praying and confessing God's Word. By faith, I  had already received our fully furnished house, brand new cars, great jobs, awesome church members and the list goes on. Plus I was an American citizen with a master's degree, I was certain that everything would fall into place in no time. i never expected the wilderness experience or the silent season; no I didn't expect my faith to be tested. After all we came to America willingly and obediently via God's instruction. We came for the sake of purpose and we knew that God would take care of us; but we weren't prepared for the lessons that we had to learn in the process.

We tried to make the best of it; going to the grocery store, the donut shop and church when we had access to a car were the highlights our days. Despite the circumstances that surrounded us, we were not hopeless and we were beyond grateful to be together as a family. God had been too good to us; so our aim was the major of the goodness of God and minor on our situation.

One day, my husband woke up and said that he was going to go get a job. I was astonished but I didn't dare try to stop him; the determination in his eyes kept my mouth closed. I went ahead to encourage him and secretly prayed that his efforts wouldn't be in vain. When he told me that he was taking the bus, I was worried because the last time he tried that it took him three hours to find his way home from a place that was just 15 minutes away from home.

I called him a few times to check on him and he kept reassuring me that he was okay; and I went about my day. My uncle told him about a agency that could assist him with to temporary job placement; so he set out on a quest to locate their office. Unfortunately when he finally arrived at the location, he was told that only did placements for administrative/office jobs; and with him being a foreign trained medical doctor, there wasn't much that they could do for him. He left that place discouraged, not knowing that God had other plans.

As he was walking back to the bus stop, he passed by a gate where he saw people gathering. He made eye contact with a man as he was directing people to a door; he said to my husband "You're looking for a job right?" My husband was surprised but quickly answered in the affirmative. The man then directed him inside a room where representatives of the company were conducting interviews on the spot. He sat waiting for his turn not knowing what the job description was. When it got to his turn, he was asked some questions; the interviewer liked his responses and hired him right then and there! She proceeded to ask for his application and other documentation, it was then that she realized that he never applied. She asked him how he got into the room and he told her that someone outside of the gate led him in. She was shocked but it was too late, he was already hired!

He left home determined and came home with a testimony. It didn't go the way he planned but it went the way God intended it to...talk about prepared places and God's favor! Indeed be never forgets his own; he always with us...even in the midst of hard times. Those times aren't designed to crush us; they're designed to build us up and establish us. From that day forth we began to see the light that was always within the tunnel; God began to open doors for us in astonishing ways.

To be continued...

With lots of love,



- Bunmi Adebiyi


Wait before you go:

1. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, life won't make any sense, it will be cold and empty. You deserve more! Take a few minutes and click on the 'Come to Jesus' tab at the top of the page and be saved!

2. Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!

3. You can subscribe to this blog and receive email updates once a new post is published by entering your email address in the 'Follow by email' section located on the right of this post.

4. You can share this post or previous posts by clicking on the respective social media icon on the right.

5. Follow me on twitter @BunmiAdebiyi_

6. Like my page on facebook: Bunmi Adebiyi

7. Follow me on Instagram: destinationdestinyblog

Looking up to God

Source: Google

Hello! Thank you so much for stopping by today! In today's blogpost, I talk about adjusting to a new environment. Relocating to Akure was not easy, it was solely a step of faith. Settling down was not a walk in the park, it came with it's own set of challenges. Continue reading and be blessed!

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In all honesty, I didn’t like Akure...well initially. I had a hard time adjusting to the new environment. There was nowhere to go, no one to see, and not much do in the small town. To top it off, job searching was stressful. I soon found out that the job market answered to relationships with government officials or other “very important people” and undercover bribes. So after trying and trying, I remembered that I had a relationship with the king of Akure at that time. My husband and I went to go and meet him at the palace one day; and he promised to help us both out. We were elated!

Sadly, he died a few weeks before we were supposed to return to the palace for a second visit. It was painful because he was a friend of both of our families; and he was a wonderful man. Well, getting a reference from him for jobs wasn’t possible any longer. Remember that my husband already had a job but the salary was terrible. I cringed after converting how much he made to dollars; it didn’t make sense that a medical doctor would earn so little. So, I really desired that my husband had a better paying job; and a job that wouldn’t require him to work on Saturdays.

One of our church members suggested that we contact her sister; her sister was a government official. So off we went, hoping that this was it! We got a reference letter from her and I took it to the state’s health department hoping that it would give me an advantage. After waiting for hours to see the head of the health department, his reaction said it all; the reference letter was not going to do me any good. I thought that my Public Health degree from the U.S. would impress him; while it did, it wasn’t enough. However, he reluctantly invited me to apply for an open position with the company. It was a partnership with World Bank, I was excited! Getting the position would have been a dream come true. Plus the pay seemed like it would be good!

When I got an invitation for an interview, I was elated!!! I was sure that the job was mine! The company was looking to fill about 12 positions and I was sure that I would be one of the top choices. On the day of the interview, I dressed my best and I was prayed up. The interview was done in a panel format; I was asked various questions by about five men. The head of the health department was one of the panelists, I was sure that he would put in a good word for me. I answered each question confidently, and at the end of the interview, I was sure that I made a lasting impression!

Imagine my shock when I was NOT selected, I was crushed and discouraged. I knew that we were primarily in Akure for ministry and that was fine but I wanted to start my public health career. I didn't want to be a housewife (not that there is anything wrong with that). I wanted to do something meanful, I wanted to have impact in the public health. And I worked so hard for my master's degree. I already sacrificed one year to NYSC, I believed that it was time for my reward of a good paying job in my field. With each disappointment, I was starting to feel that my degree was useless and that hurt!

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Shortly after the interview, my father remembered that his former coworker relocated to Nigeria a couple of years prior and he worked with the government. So my father made a call and he promised to rectify the issue; because he knew the head of the health department personally. My hopes were up again…but not for long. After my father’s former coworker contacted the head of the health department, he was told that it was too late; he said that the positions were already filled prior to the interview.  Everyone of the panielist already chose their candidates; the interview was conducted just to fulfill all rightesouness. The head of the organizarion felt terrible because my father’s former coworker was a wonderful host when he visited him in the U.S. He kept apologizing to me profusely. 

So I was back at square one, by this time I was tired and upset at the system. My father’s former coworker apologized and suggested that I volunteered with the organization. I was offended, how can he tell me to volunteer with my qualifications??? I never gave him a definite response. He kept calling me and asking me to go and see the head of the organization and speak to him about volunteering. I finally obliged and went ahead to meet him.

Little did I know that God had a plan all along. I just wasn’t patient enough to ask for his plan. I was too busy going the “world’s way” and trying to look to ‘people’ to help me; instead of looking up to God, the owner of the universe for help. He had a prepared a place for me in the company already, he had gone ahead of me. I was selected as a volunteer, I was able to choose my own hours (I worked 3 days a week), I was given my own office, I was given a laptop and after a few weeks, they decided to give me a monthly transportation allowance that was more than the salary of a good number of the staff. Look at God!

Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV) For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Like I said in my previous post, throughout our stay in Akure we truly learned to work by faith. It was not always easy, neither was it always convenient but it was always worth it.


Be Blessed!

- Bunmi Adebiyi


Wait before you go:

1. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, life won't make any sense, it will be cold and empty. You deserve more! Take a few minutes and click on the 'Come to Jesus' tab at the top of the page and be saved!

2. Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!

3. You can subscribe to this blog and receive email updates once a new post is published by entering your email address in the 'Follow by email' section located on the right of this post.

4. You can share this post or previous posts by clicking on the respective social media icon on the right.

5. Follow me on twitter @BunmiAdebiyi_

6. Like my page on facebook: Bunmi Adebiyi


7. Follow me on Instagram: destinationdestinyblog